Coburn Evokes Ricky Ricardo While Speaking To Sotomayor: "You'll Have Lots Of Splainin' To Do" (VIDEO)

(AP) WASHINGTON -- Sen. Tom Coburn evoked a 1950s TV show Wednesday in a quip responding to Sonia Sotomayor's scenario about what he might do if she - hypothetically, of course - attacked him.

"You'll have a lot of 'splainin' to do," Coburn said, to laughter from the crowd and Sotomayor. What he said - and how he said it - was a riff on a Hispanic television character, Ricky Ricardo, whose accent is now widely considered a broad parody.

In the famous 1950s TV show "I Love Lucy," the Cuban bandleader Ricardo (played by the equally Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz) would often admonish his scatterbrained wife, Lucy, by saying she'd have some "'splainin'" to do. The phrase, "Lucy, you have some 'splainin' to do," has since become part of the popular culture.

Calling Coburn out for this might be going too far - those who know him say he often speaks like this - but it was hard not to notice his inflection and choice of words. At the very least, it suggests a tin ear - particularly when speaking to a woman who would become the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.

Yvette Melendez, a Glastonbury, Conn., woman attending the hearing, said she winced inwardly when Coburn made his comment but did not feel offended.

"I personally did not think it was appropriate," she said. "But I'm sure he said it as a joke."

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Comments

[SensibleJoe]

Racism and condescension always lurk under the cover of "Jeez, it's just an innocent joke." Sotomayor handled it with grace, but the Republicans these days seem to be pushing the envelope. They're just a step or two away from exchanging those expensive suits for white sheets and pointy hats.

[wayicit]

I agree

[the964kid]

The people from Oklahoma are just as backwards as Tom Coburn is - what does anyone expect?

[MrAverage]

Well, for sure, let's combat bigotry with a slam against all persons who reside in a certain state.

[drewziGNY]

A senator might represent the people of his state, but the people are not always the same as what the senator might represent.

[Lakshmi0000]

Do something about it.....VOTE THEM ALL OUT!

[wayicit]

It would be nice. But, there from the reddest of red states. And they know it.

[drewziGNY]

Even better.....

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/DrewziG71/misterhippie.jpg

[effitol]

You're all wasting so much time and effort.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

[writer10027]

Exactly.

[Dr. Sam]

Sen. Sessions race-bating is one that we all should take note of. As it seems in his case, water always returns to its level. Session will never change"and thank God he never succeeded in getting to the bench. The problem with those who shout bias against others is that they are unable to see the "plank" in their own eyes. Sessions is informed by racial prejudice. How can he as "Ranking Member" of the Senate Judiacy Committee resist not allowing his ideological and cultural experiences to influence his questioning of Judge Sotomayor? When he says he wants judges who are "neutral," what he really means is that he wants judges who would agree with his world view that views women, ethnics and other minorities as less equal than others no matter their accomplishments and even not desirable. His attacks have focused on a narrow frame, ignoring empirical evidence of balance that can easily be derived from Judge Sotomayor's actual decisions in court. He chose to forget or ignore what other sitting US Supreme Court justices (Scalia, Alitio, for example) appointed by Republican Presidents said about the influence of culture and experience during their confirmation hearings. Republicans must be reminded that on the issue of "empathy" President George H.W. Bush said jabout the same thing as Obama-referencing its relevance. Wisdom tells us that it is; ideological demagogoury says otherwise. On this, we must be continously reminded of the famous adage that "justice must be tempered with mercy."

[Rule Of Law]

With Rush, Savage, Oreilly, and all the others breaking every rule of civil behavior daily, this is what it has come to. An American Senator puts on a fake accent knowing he won't be called on it because society is circling the drain.

[Rule Of Law]

If she was Black would they all have laughed it away if he'd said, "You sho nuff gwine ta haff some splainin ta do, yass suh!" Or, "Feets don fail me now!"???

[Martee]

Maybe a good old George Jefferson, "Weezie!"

[AlohaMark2]

Sotomayor studied at Princeton and Yale.

Coburn studied Lucy re-runs.

No surprise there.

[Gingergirl]

The only reason many of you don't see this as insensitive is because you are insensitive.

[WABJR]

" Sen. Tom Coburn evoked a 1950s TV show Wednesday in a quip responding to Sonia Sotomayor's scenario about what he might do if she - hypothetically, of course - attacked him.

"You'll have a lot of 'splainin' to do," Coburn said, to laughter from the crowd and Sotomayor. What he said - and how he said it - was a riff on a Hispanic television character, Ricky Ricardo, whose accent is now widely considered a broad parody."

Though this saying is now considered part of popular culture, why wasn't it used on Chief Justice Alito during his most recent confirmation hearing?

Hmmmm? Do I detect a smidgen of hypocrisy with regard to race? Naw, a "Wise Latina" Senator would have probably cracked the same joke... Right?

http://www.digitalpolitical.com

[zach4500]

Unreal... I am Hispanic and, while there are references to Ricky Ricardo that are insulting and would be considered racist, this was not one of them.

Nit picking does not serve our purpose.

Maybe it didn't come up for Alito because he was a stiff shirt who did not bring levity and a moment of good humor into the hearing, as our gracious Judge Sotomayor did.

[JFaye]

Thankfully, Judge Sotomayor is a wise Latina woman who because of her unique life experience, she can shrug off such inappropriate remarks from old, not so wise Southern, white "gentlemen."

[lazercat2008]

What a bunch of fossils, I love Lucy is from the fifties.

[saami]

Excellent comment!

[effitol]

When will you understand- all of you, that the people that run this country live in a completely different world than you and I.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

[Martee]

They've got decent health benefits, for one.

[writer10027]

While I think the rethuglicans are often ridiculous in tehir line of expression -- and most of the Congressional repugs act like reject from teh laurel and Hardy show -- it's just as ludicrous to hop on every tiny mote of a word.


Shades of Sarah Palin's objection to Letterman's joke...

That phrase is in common usage among a lot of people and it is used with good natured reference to a really funny show.

To get one's panties in a knot over this dilutes objections where there actually is racism -- and there are plenty of those. My fellow progressives: please do not start knee jerking -- please tell me Palin-itis is not contagious.

I'd like to hear from Judge Sotomayor whether she was offended. My guess is that she probably took it for what it was, part of the banter.

[daedelus]

I don't think that a good-natured reference to a funny show fits in with the rest of Coburn's measured condescension. And kindly don't diminish our concern over his bullying as "getting one's panties in a knot". You should leave that kind of gamesmanship to Sotomayor's critics.

[randman2009]

Wow you people will do anything to cry r@cism. That was a totally benign statement. He certainly didnt do anything as egregious as state that one race is more qualified to render legal decisions than another. That would be inexcusable!

[lazercat2008]

Oh, you mean Conservatives.

"Just a day after President Obama announced he was nominating appellate court judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, the battle over her confirmation has begun with former House speaker Newt Gingrich branding her a racist and saying she should withdraw.
Sonia Sotomayor's SCOTUS nomination bolsters the largest minority community.

Gingrich today joined the chorus of conservatives such as Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, who called Sotomayor a "reverse racist." --abcnews

[Simian]

To me this would be no different than a Senator responding to an answer by Justice Thomas by saying, "Watchoo talkin' 'bout Clarence."

As lightly as Sotomayor handled the moment, it was still extremely innapropriate. These guys are a bunch of immature clowns.

[Martee]

I just love that Justice Gary Coleman.

[ojim]

Yes they are though, aren't they?